Power mechanism.



No. 818,512. PATENTED APR. 24, 1906.

B. J. ARNOLD.

P OWBR MECHANISM.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 12, 1900.

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PATEITTIEID APR. 24, 1906.

B. J. ARNOLD. POWER MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1900.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application filed June 12,1900- Serial NO.

T0 (tZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BION J. ARNOLD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the.

accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to power mechanism employing eccentrics, and has for its object the provision of a variable eccentric and improved means for controlling the eccentricity thereof. By suitably connecting this eccentric to a main driving-shaft orother shaft of a power plant or to a shaft specially driven by a small engine or motor variable strokes may be imparted to a reciprocating part from the constantly-revolving shaft.

In practicing my invention I provide means for governing the position of the eccentrio with relation to its driving-shaft, this adjustment being effected in accordance with the amount of Work that is performed, the range of adjustment being preferably from no stroke to full stroke of the reciprocating element.

A particular adaptation of my invention has been found to be of great service in connection With boiler-feed pumps, in which connection the eccentrics may be so arranged that by means of suitable switching apparatus they will maintain a constant pressure of water in the pipes feeding the boilers, so that as the demand for water varies the supply may be governed by correspondinglyvaried lengths of stroke of the pump. The invention may also be appliedin connection With expansion and reversing gears for steam or other engines or for varying the stroke of eccentrics forworking automatic stokers. I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the precise application to which the invention may be put.

Generally speaking, my invention comprises in one embodiment an eccentric arranged to be driven by suitable means, as a driving-shaft and motor means carried with the eccentric and capable of operation to vary the position of the eccentric in the manner desired. The motor may be of any desired form and is preferably so arrangedthatit may be readily governed to effect the adjustment of the eccentric Without stopping the operation of the eccentric, the motor preferably serving to vary the adjustment of the eccentric from no eccentricity when there is no reciprocation to the greatest eccentricity when there is the fullest reciprocation.

In one embodiment of my invention I have employed a driving-shaft and disk carried thereby, a swinging eccentric pivotally mounted to one side of the shaft, a crank-pin supported by the swinging eccentric, the swinging eccentric being provided with a gear engaging a wormthat is operated by the motor, the motor serving at intervals when adjustment is required to rotate the Worm, and thereby effect the throw of the eccentric to diminish or increase the length of the stroke of the reciprocating part operatively associated therewith.

I will explain my invention and other embodiments thereof more fully by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 on a plane through the diameter of the shaft. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a modified form of apparatus. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a rear view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 4.

Like parts are indicated by similar char acters of reference throughout the different figures.

A shaft a is preferably constantly driven, a pump 1) being operatively associated with the shaft, whose piston in this instance constitutes the reciprocating part, whose stroke may be varied according to the demand for water.

Referring now more particularly to the construction illustrated. in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, I have illustrated a casting a supporting the mechanism, a pin d being carried by the casting. A casting e, carrying a segmental gear 6 is carried by the pin d and is adapted to rotate about the axis of the said pin. An eccentric f is preferably cast integral with the portion a and is provided with a slot concentric with the pin (1 to accommodate the driving-shaft and permit the eccentric to be swung from side to side. A worm-shaft g carries a worm g, that meshes with the segmental gear c This worm-shaft is preferably driven by a motor carried by the frame or casting c, for which purpose I preferably employ a worm-wheel 9 upon the shaft 9 and a worm-shaft h, carrying a worm h for engaging the said pinion adapted to be driven by a motor i, preferably an electric motor. sheave or eccentric-strap surrounds the eccentric, the pitman j being attached at one end to an extension of the strap and having pivotal or swinging connection at the other end with the piston of pump b. I preferably provide means whereby the motor may be supplied with power without stopping the operation' of the mechanism, for which purpose where electric motors are employed collectorrings 7c k mounted upon the hub portion of the framework 0, may be employed, collector-brushes connected with a suitable source of current at having engagement with the collector-rings, a switching device n being included in the circuit of the said source of current and motor to control the operation of the motor. The switching mechanism 11/ may be operated manually or automatically. A reversing switch Z forms a part of the switching mechanism, so that the motor is rotated in one direction or the other to ad vance or decrease the throw of the eccentric; A switch device or circuit-breaker 1 may be employed to open circuit when the motor has completed the travel in one direction. The eccentric may either be manually controlled, as by the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, or this same mechanism or other eccentric mechanism may be controlled auto matically, as set forth in my divisional application. It is apparent that with the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the travel of the reciprocating part or piston may vary from zero to maximum, as occasion may require.

Referring now to Figs. 4, 5, and 6, I have illustrated another form of eccentric mechanism, the casting e, mounted to swing upon pin (1, being of different shape from that illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 and carrying an eccentric or crank pinf, whose eccentric relation to the driving-shaft a is controlled by the rotation of the casting or plate 6. The construction and arrangement of the motor i and Worm-shaft g with respect to the casting or plate 6 are similar to that illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the worm upon shaft g by engaging the segmental gear 6 serving when rotated by the rotary motor 'i to vary the eccentricity of the pin j" and thereby the throw of the reciprocating part, in this instance the piston of the pump. A circuit-breaker Z is also employed in this construction to cut out the motor when the travel of the plate 6 with the pin has been completed in one direction. As illustrated, the circuit-breaker Z serves to cut the motor out of circuit when it has been operated to effect the greatest reciprocal movement of the reciprocating part. The engaging worms constitute the preferred means for locking the eccentric in its adjustment; but other means may be employed.

I have herein disclosed eccentrics in the form of eccentric disks and in the form of crank-pins, and I therefore use the term eccentric in the claims in a broad sense.

I have thus particularly set forth some embodiments of my invention and a use to which it is particularly adapted; but other embodiments of the invention may be had, and it may be applied to other uses without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the precise construction herein shown and particularly described; but,

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a power-transmission mechanism the combination with a rotatably-mounted support, of a load-driving eccentric carried thereby and movable from or toward the axis of the said support, and means including a mo tor carried by the support for effecting the adjustment of the eccentric, substantially as described.

2. n a power-transmission mechanism the combination with a rotatably-mounted sup port, of a load-driving eccentric carried thereby and movable from or toward the axis of the said support, means including a motor for effecting the adjustment of the eccentric and for securing the eccentric in the position to which it has been adjusted, substantially as described.

3. In a power-transmission mechanism, the combination with a rotatably-mounted support, of a load-driving eccentric carried thereby, and having connection with the said support permitting its rotatable or swinging movement with respect to the axis of rotation of the support, means including a motor for effecting the adjustment of the eccentric and for securing the eccentric in the position to which it has been adjusted, substantially as described.

4. In a power-transmission mechanism, the combination with a rotatable support, of an eccentric rotatably mounted upon and with relation to the support, motor means carried by the support for effecting the adjustment of the eccentric, and means extraneous of the support for effecting the operation of the motor to secure the adjustment of the eccentric while in operation, substantially as described.

5. In a power-transmission mechanism,the combination with a rotatably-mounted support, of load-driving means carried thereby, and an electric motor for varying the displacement or eccentricity of said load-driving means relative to the axis of said rotatably-mounted support, substantially as described.

6. In a power-transmission mechanism,the combination with a rotatably-mounted support, of load-driving means carried thereby, In Witness whereof Ihereunto subscribe my and motor means completely rotatable With name this 7th day of June, A. D. 1900.

the su ort for effecting a dis lacement or change f eccentricity of said lbad -driving BION ARNOLD means with relation to the axis of said rotata- Witnesses:

bly-mounted support, substantially as de- GEORGE L. CRAGG, scribed. HARVEY L. HANSON. 

